Week in Review - March 24, 2017

NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

March 24, 2017 Vol 13 Issue # 12

Dear NASET News,

Welcome to NASET'sWEEK in REVIEW. Here, we provide you with the latest publications from NASET to read and or download, as well as some of the most interesting articles that have happened this week in the field of special education. We hope you enjoy this publication. Feel free to send us articles for this publication or let us know your thoughts about the WEEK in REVIEW at news@naset.org. Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

NASET News Team

NEW THIS WEEK ON NASET

NASET Q & A Corner Issue # 79

The Every Student Succeeds Acts ( ESSA): Academic Assessments and Students with Disabilities

This issue of NASET's Q & A Corner comes from a collaborative publication of the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) and The Advocacy Institute.The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to give the following academic assessments to all public school students each year: (1) Mathematics: In each of grades 3 through 8; and at least once in grades 9 through 12; (2) Reading or language arts: In each of grades 3 through 8; and at least once in grades 9 through 12; AND (3) Science: One time during grades 3 through 5; grades 6 through 9; and grades 10 through 12. These assessments must be aligned with the state's academic content and achievement standards. In addition, states must give an annual assessment of English language proficiency to all English learners. This publication will focus on academic assessments and students with disabilities under the ESSA. Read More

NASET's HOW TO Series

HOW TO Use Proximity Teaching

Purpose

The purpose of this tool is to establish a structure around a student who is unable to maintain control over his/her behavior. Read More

NASET's HOW TO Series

HOW TO Use a Forced Choice Technique

Purpose

The purpose of this technique is to limit the behavior of students who try to negotiate everything.

Children Experience Long Wait Times for Developmental and Behavioral Specialists

An estimated one in six children in the United States have development disorders such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or cerebral palsy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children can benefit from the care of developmental pediatricians who are specially trained in the field. However, a new study from Rutgers offers evidence confirming what many parents already know: the wait to see one of these experts -- only 1,000 of whom exist nationally -- is lengthy and delays diagnostic evaluations that could be important for early intervention strategies that help families manage behavioral, emotional, social and educational struggles. In addition, the study found that there is an insufficient number of programs that offer accommodations for non-English speaking families. Read More

Benefits of Long-Term Use of ADHD Medications Questioned

In a study that followed more than 500 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) into adulthood, extended use of stimulant medication was linked with suppressed adult height but not with reduced symptoms of ADHD. The findings suggest that short-term treatment of ADHD with stimulant medication is well justified by benefits that outweigh costs, but long-term treatment may be associated with growth-related costs that may not be balanced by symptom-related benefits. "The most recently published guidelines (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2011) recommend expanding the diagnosis and treatment beyond school-aged children and using stimulant medication as first-line treatment for adolescents as well as school-aged children," wrote the authors of The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry study. Read More

Childhood Bullying May Lead to Increased Chronic Disease Risk in Adulthood

Being bullied during childhood might have lifelong health effects related to chronic stress exposure -- including an increased risk for heart disease and diabetes in adulthood, according to a research review in the March/April issue of the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer. Recent advances in understanding of the negative health effects of chronic stress highlight a pressing need to clarify the longer-term health implications of childhood bullying, according to the review by Susannah J. Tye, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic and colleagues. "Bullying, as a form of chronic social stress, may have significant health consequences if not addressed early," Dr. Tye comments. "We encourage child health professionals to assess both the mental and physical health effects of bullying." Read More

Mite-Proof Bedcovers May Reduce Asthma Flare-Ups in Children

Bedcovers that form a barrier to house dust mites appear to reduce asthma flare-ups in children, according to new research published online, ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. In "Preventing Severe Asthma Exacerbations in Children: A Randomized Trial of Mite Impermeable Bedcovers," researchers in England report on a study of 284 children with asthma who tested positive for mite allergy, one of the most common asthma triggers. The children, ages 3-17, enrolled in the study after suffering an asthma flare-up, or exacerbation, that required being treated in the emergency room or as an inpatient at one of 14 hospitals in North-West England. After encasing their mattresses, duvets and pillows with mite-proof covers or placebo covers, the children were followed for a year. Neither the children, nor the investigators nor their health care professionals knew which set of covers the children received. Read More

Scientists have developed a new, highly accurate method that analyzes metabolic biomarkers to assess whether a child is on the autism spectrum, according to a study published in PLOS Computational Biology. Autism spectrum disorder affects about 1.5 percent of all children, but its exact cause remains unknown, and diagnosis requires a multidisciplinary team of doctors. Previous research has revealed certain differences in metabolic processes between children on the autism spectrum and neurotypical children. However, researchers have struggled to translate these differences into new diagnostic tools. In the new study, Juergen Hahn and Daniel Howsmon of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, and colleagues present a method to identify a child as being on the autism spectrum based on concentrations of specific substances found in a blood sample. These substances are produced by metabolic processes known as the folate-dependent one-carbon (FOCM) metabolism and transulfuration (TS) pathways, both of which are altered in children with autism. Read More

Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members

Through an agreement with The American Academy of Special Education Professionals(AASEP), NASET members now have the opportunity to achieve AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) at a reduced fee. AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) is a voluntary choice on the part of the candidate. The candidate for Board Certification wishes to demonstrate a commitment to excellence to employers, peers, administrators, other professionals, and parents. From the standpoint of the Academy, board certification will demonstrate the highest professional competency in the area of special education. Board Certification in Special Educationestablishes a much needed standard for professionals, across disciplines, who work with exceptional children.Read More

A Prescription for Touch: Early Experiences Shape Preterm Babies' Brains

Newborn babies experience the world through touch. Now, researchers who have measured the brain responses of 125 infants -- including babies who were born prematurely and others who went full-term -- show that a baby's earliest experiences of touch have lasting effects on the way their young brains respond to gentle touch when they go home. The findings reported in Current Biology on March 16 are yet another reminder of the importance of gentle touch for infants' normal sensory development. They have particular implications for the care received by the 15 million infants born prematurely each year, who often must spend extended periods of time in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Read More

Fidgeting is OK in this Grand Island Classroom

A first-grade classroom at Grand Island's Charlotte Sidway Elementary has been transformed into a "multi-sensory learning space," a design which encourages a variety of learning styles - including fidgeting. The classroom includes wobble seats, ball and cube chairs, rugs, a couch, standing desks, balance boards, and low tables which allow a child to sit on the floor or kneel while working, according to teaching assistant Kim Groff. The learning space is a combination of two classroom styles, which allows students to move between stations in small learning group activities. Standard desks and chairs are still there in one room, but the 36 students, some of whom are special education students, can also use a second room, where students can be seen jiggling atop giant stability balls, wiggling on balance boards or sunken into bean bag chairs. Read More

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Teenagers who self-report feeling drowsy mid-afternoon also tend to exhibit more anti-social behavior such as lying, cheating, stealing and fighting. Now, research from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of York, in the United Kingdom, shows that those same teens are 4.5 times more likely to exhibit what behavior a decade and a half later?

ANSWER: Commit a violent crime

This week's question: According to former U.S. President Franklin Delanor Roosevelt, democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is what?

If you know the answer, email us at contactus@naset.org by March 27, 2017. We will acknowledge your correct answer in the next edition of the Week in Review

The Genes, Neural Circuits Behind Autism's Impaired Sociability

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have gained new insight into the genetic and neuronal circuit mechanisms that may contribute to impaired sociability in some forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Led by Matthew P. Anderson, MD, PhD, Director of Neuropathology at BIDMC, the scientists determined how a gene linked to one common form of autism works in a specific population of brain cells to impair sociability. The research, published in the journal Nature, reveals the neurobiological control of sociability and could represent important first steps toward interventions for patients with autism. Read More

SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW SYMPOSIUM (JUNE 18-JUNE 23, 2017)

Lehigh University's intensive one-week institute provides a practical analysis of legislation, regulations, and court decisions relating to the education of students with disabilities. The symposium is designed for special education coordinators and teachers, principals, psychologists, parent advocates, charter school personnel, attorneys (on both sides), hearing officers, state education agency personnel, and other individuals interested in a thorough exploration of the special education legal landscape.

The Symposium is offered with the options of graduate or continuing education credit for week-long participants. Shorter, including daily, registrations are also available. For full information, go to http://go.lehigh.edu/spedlaw. For any questions, email or call Shannon Weber or Donna Johnson at specialedlaw@lehigh.edu or (610) 758-5557.

City Living Can Make Asthma Worse for Poor Children, Study Finds

Results of a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers using national data add to evidence that living in inner cities can worsen asthma in poor children. They also document persistent racial/ethnic disparities in asthma. A report of the study's findings, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology on March 8, shows that urban living and black race are strong independent risk factors for increased asthma morbidity -- defined as higher rates of asthma-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations -- but urban living does not increase the risk for having asthma. "Our findings serve as evidence that there are differences between risk factors linked to developing asthma and those linked to making asthma worse if you already have it," says Corinne Keet, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the paper's lead author. Read More

An Epidemic of Epipens

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have found that prescriptions of adrenaline autoinjectors (commonly called 'epipens') for children with allergies have increased markedly in the last decade, with nearly four devices a year provided per child. The researchers looked at a database of patient records from over 500 general practices, THIN (the Health Improvement Network), between 2000 and 2012. They found nearly 24,000 children who had been identified as being at risk of anaphylaxis by General Practitioners and prescribed epipens. Over the 12 year period the number of children identified by GPs as being at risk increased three and a half times, and the total number of devices prescribed (per 1000 person years) in the UK increased five-fold. Read More

Study Finds No Benefit, but Possible Harm, from Drug Used to Prevent Preterm Births

A drug commonly prescribed to pregnant women with a history of delivering babies early provides no benefit. In fact, this drug may even increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes. These are the conclusions of a UT Southwestern Medical Center study recently published online in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "Our study showed the drug to be ineffective, and it has a side effect," said Dr. David Nelson, first author of the study and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern. Read More

Researchers Make Major Brain Repair Discovery in Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis

Queen's University Belfast scientists have discovered that specific cells from the immune system are key players in brain repair -- a fundamental breakthrough that could revolutionize the treatment of debilitating neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The research study, led by Dr Yvonne Dombrowski and Dr Denise Fitzgerald at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen's University Belfast, is being hailed as a landmark study in unravelling the mysteries of how the brain repairs damage. This is crucial in the fight against MS, which affects 2.3 million people world-wide and over 4,500 people in Northern Ireland. Read More

Mathematical Modeling Predicts Student Success, Dropout Rates

A researcher at The University of Texas at Arlington has used mathematical modeling to demonstrate that negative peer pressures can spread in a high-risk setting, influencing students' decisions to drop out of school. "This study postulates that social behavior can spread interpersonally through social interactions and influences, just as infectious diseases can," said Christopher Kribs, UTA professor of Mathematics and Curriculum & Instruction. Kribs is also an expert in mathematical epidemiology with research supported by the National Science Foundation. The study showed that students who are failing at two or more subjects are at risk for dropping out, largely due to their increased interactions with other failing students. Read More

Poor Sleep in Early Childhood May Lead to Cognitive, Behavioral Problems in Later Years

A study led by a Massachusetts General Hospital pediatrician finds that children ages 3 to 7 who don't get enough sleep are more likely to have problems with attention, emotional control and peer relationships in mid-childhood. Reported online in the journal Academic Pediatrics, the study found significant differences in the responses of parents and teachers to surveys regarding executive function -- which includes attention, working memory, reasoning and problem solving -- and behavioral problems in 7-year-old children depending on how much sleep they regularly received at younger ages. "We found that children who get an insufficient amount of sleep in their preschool and early school-age years have a higher risk of poor neurobehavioral function at around age 7," says Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH, chief of General Pediatrics at MassGeneral Hospital for Children , who led the study. "The associations between insufficient sleep and poorer functioning persisted even after adjusting for several factors that could influence the relationship." Read More

The Consequences of Forcing Young Kids to Sit Too Long in Class

On July 8, 2014, I published a post titled "Why so many kids can't sit still in school today" by Angela Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist. Ever since then, the idea has struck a chord with readers around the world, still drawing a big audience along with some of the follow-up pieces Hanscom wrote. Why did that story have such resonance? Because standardized-test-based school reform has overemphasized math and reading instruction and test prep to the exclusion of other things, forcing young children to sit in their chairs for hours at a time, often without a real break, even though many kids aren't ready to do that (if, indeed, young people of any age should have to). The result, as Hanscom has written, is that too many kids fidget, lose focus and act out, with some diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder even when they do not have it. Read More

LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET

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*Arizona: Special Education Teacher - $46,000/school year (180 days). Summers off with year round pay. Special Education Teachers needed in Arizona (Phoenix and surrounding cities). Needs are in the self-contained and resource settings serving students with emotional disabilities (ED), Autism (A), Severe/Profound (S/P), and Intellectual Disabilities (ID). To learn more - Click here

*Special Education Specialist - The primary responsibility of the Special Education Specialist is to provide instruction and other related services to Special Education students. The Special Education Specialist will also facilitate diagnostic assessment including administration, scoring and interpretation. To learn more - Click here

If you are an Employer looking for excellent special education staff - Click here for more information

Food For Thought..........

Because children grow up, we think a child's purpose is to grow up. But a child's purpose is to be a child.